Materialism

Question 1

Explain Aristotle’s materialism in relation to the soul.

Answer 1

Aristotle believed the soul is the form (essence) of the physical body, exemplified by the relationship between a stamp and its imprint on wax. Rational thought is the defining feature of the human soul

Question 2

What is Francis Bacon’s critique of formal causation?

Answer 2

Bacon argued that formal causation is beyond empirical study and unscientific, only efficient and material causation should be considered.

Question 3

What is Richard Dawkins’ view on the soul?

Answer 3

Dawkins, a materialist, argued that we are merely physical beings composed of DNA. He rejects the idea of a soul (soul 1) but accepts a metaphorical soul (soul 2) representing deep human feelings.

Question 4

How does David Chalmers critique Dawkins’ view on consciousness?

Answer 4

Chalmers distinguishes between the ‘easy problem’ of correlating brain processes with mental processes and the ‘hard problem’ of explaining consciousness itself, suggesting the need for new, possibly dualist, explanations.